Corn-harvester.



Patented Dec. 26, [899. J. A. STONE.

CORN HARVESTER.

(Application filed Dec, 7, 1896.)

(No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet No. 640,046. Patented Dec. 26, I899. J. A. STONE.

CORN HARVESTER.

(Application filed Dec. 7, 1696.)

(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 2 P, WHIIHUIIIIIII I!jilllllllllllllm"WIHUNIH HHNH v' \J m mi wnumjl Ill III

l hx/mwn .1. A. STONE.

CORN HABVESTER.

(Application filed Dec. 7, 1896.) (No Model.)

Patentedflec. 26, I899.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

m: uuams PETERS co. rum-sumo wasumm'cn. o. c.

Patentd Dec. 26, 1399.

J. A. STONE, CORN HARVESTER.

Application filed. Dec. 7, 1896.)

4 Sheets$heet 4L (No Model.)

co. FMOT NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

101m A. sToNn, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE 'DEERINGI'IARVESTER COMPANY,.OF SAME PLACE.

ooRN-HARvEsTER.

" rammar forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,046, dated. December 26,1899. Application filed December 7, 1896- Serial No. 614,675. (Nomodel.)

1'0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. STONE, of Ohicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCorn-Harvesters, of which the following is a full and clear description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 isa plan view of as much of a machine as is necessary to show myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, the front portion of thegathering devices being cut away and shown in section. Fig. 3 is a planview showing the butt-adj uster and its mechanism. Fig. 4 is a sectionalelevation showing the mechanism of the adjuster. Figs. 5 and 7 aredetails of the adjuster. Fig. 6 is a perspective View showing thehead-supporting arm, and Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11 are details of thegathering devices.

My invention relates to that class of corn harvesters and binders shownin an application filed by me June 28, 1894, and bearing the serialnumber 515,957; and it consists in various improvements upon thatmachine which will be hereinafter pointed out.

The gathering devices consist in rearwardly-inclining boards A and A,forming between them a passage-way through which the cornstalks pass asthe machine progresses along the row of 'corn being operated upon, and agathering-chain A having picker-teeth, the said chain suitably mountedupon sprocketwheels at and a that are supported upon the gatherer-boardA. In my practical use I have supported the gathering-chain in many Waysand have used two chains a number of times. Therefore, as far asdescribed, the gathering devices shown in the drawings may be consideredas any form of chain gatherer.

To the forward and lower extremities of the gatherer-boards areextensions A and A, so hinged thereto as to be adapted to float upon theground.

Referring to Fig. 10, which is a section on the line 10 10 of Fig. 1,the hinge a is shown as connecting the board a of the extension A to thegatherer-board A. When the machine is tilted upon its supporting-wheelsfor the purpose of picking up down corn or cutting closer to the ground,the extensions move upon their hinges freely, the forward end of theexterision being sled-runner shaped, so as to ride upon the ground.

Shields a are preferably used to form a substantially rounded surfacefor the extensions to adapt them to slide under down and fallen stalksand as much as possible avoid sun- 'dering the already broken stalks.The gatherer-boards are also provided with shields a constructed in anyfamiliar way, so as to present a smooth rounded surface for the stalksas they pass therealong. rounded surfaces may be continuous from theextensions to the gatherer-boards proper in any position that thegatherers and extensions may assume relative to each other,bridgingshields A are provided, either pivoted, as shown, to theextensions at a and adapted to slide upon the shields a or in any otherconvenient way made to bridge over the space between the shield on theextension and that on the gatherer-board. I prefer the way shownthat is,to hinge the bridging-shields at a upon the extensions and adapt themtoslide upon the gatherer-shields a being held thereto by pins a, securedto the bridgeshields, which pins are held in slots a by means of acotter or any other well-known devices.

The crosssectional views Figs. 9 and 11 are for the purpose of showingthe preferred construction of the rounded surfaces of the variousshields thus described.

A is a deflector mounted at the delivery end of the gatherer-board A,its chain a having picker-teeth that serve to carry the stalks afterbeing cut by the cutting apparatus 13 onto the said table.

a and (1 are deflecting-rods for the purpose of guiding the stalks ontheir way to the binding-table.

D is a binder attachment having a bindingtable D, slightly elevatedabove the floor of the machine, which slopes upwardly and rearwardly, asshown at D a frame d, the usual needle cl, knotter d and driving-shaft(i which driving-shaft has cranks,'upon which the usual packers O arehung.

D D and D are the discharge-arms of the hinder, the one D being extendedrearward for the purpose of acting well toward In order that the the endof the bundle. A curved rod D is attached to the discharge-arm Dpreferably by being inserted through an aperture d therein, and securedthereto by means of a bolt D and a spring d thereby giving itflexibilitysufficient to prevent bending or breakage by strikingincoming stalks or cars of corn,which rod extends rearwardl y anddownwardly in an irregular curve for the purpose of supporting the headsof the cornstalks as they lie on the binder-table. Being secured to thedischarge-arm, or, broadly speaking, to the knotter-shaftof the binder,this bent arm is adapted to hold the upper end of the stalks during thetime occupied in the accumulation of the bundle and when the partsdirectly concerned in the operation of binding are given movement moveaway therefrom in order that the bundle may be discharged.

The gathering, cutting, and binding devices are conveniently supportedupon suitable framework E, and the entire machine is carried uponground-wheels E and E The machine is adapted to be tilted upon the axlesof its supporting-wheels, and the tongue E is jointed to the frame andconnected by the usual tilting mechanism E thereto for the purpose ofholding the machine in any desired position of tilt. The gathering-chainA receives its movement from a shaft F, which is caused to be rotatedbyadrive-chain F, thrown over sprocket-wheels f and f.

G is a shaft given rotation by means of the chain g and sprocket-wheelsg and g from the shaft F. Bevel-gears f and f transmit rotation from theshaft Gto the packer-shaft (1 The arrangement of gearing, as shown anddescribed, may be considered as any convenient form of gearing that willserve the purpose of giving the proper movement to the various shafts.

A crank-shaft H is suitably supported at its upper end upon thegatherer-board A and at its lower end upon the bracket h.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noticed that the axis of the shaft H isnot at right angles to the binding-table and that in order that thebutt-board may be kept close to the deck special means must be employed.I prefer to usethe means shown in the drawings namely, the two-way jointbetween said buttboard and said shaft. The crank-shaft may beconveniently given rotation by a special device that is shown in thedrawings and that will now be described.

I is a sprocket-wheel secured to the drivingspindle of thegathererchain, and I is a sprocket-wheel supported upon thejournalbearing 1 at the upper end of the shaft H, the said bearinghaving also an eccentric diagonal bearingi as one part therewith, theplane of which is parallel to the plane of the gathererboard. Thesprocket-wheel I is adapted to rotate upon the said eccentric hearingand has formed in its hub an angular opening The angular collar 71,2 issecured to the upper end of the crank-shaft and projects through theangular aperture 71 so as to be rotated by the sprocket-wheel I.

J is a butt-board having a stud j projectin g therefrom. A sleeve 11,preferably made in two pieces in order to be conveniently attached uponthe crank-shaft H and secured together by bolts b or similar means, hasas one part therewith a sleeve 7%, adapted to receive the stud j. Theboard J is thus actuated by the crank and given an orbital movement atits receiving end, as shown by the dotted lines X. (See Fig. 3.) Thedelivery end of the board-J is adapted to slide upon the board J, aswill now be described. A

A radius-rod L is pivoted conveniently at L upon the frame of themachine and extends diagonally forward to be secured at Z and Z to theboard J. A slotj is formed in the said board J, andalugjias one'partwith the moving board J, projects through the said slot and is adaptedto be pivoted, as at j to asleeve j", that slides upon the rod L. Thatportion of the radius-rod that is secured to the de livery end of theboard J is bent forwardly to form a lug, to which the rod Z is pivotedto connect it to the hand-lever M.

For the purpose merely of making the device secure and durable a secondrod Z extends from the delivery end of the butt-board to thehand-leverM.The purpose of thehandlever is to adjust the board J, carrying thedelivery end of the board J with it, fore and aft by swinging the saidboard J upon the radiusrod L.

In Fig. 3 the forward position of adjustment of the butt-moving devicesis shown in full lines. The position shown in dotted lines at 3 is amore rearward adjustment of the de= vices. Pivoted to the delivery endof the butt-board is an extension J against which the butts of thestalks of the forming bundle lie in order that their position in thebinder-receptacle may be maintained and a bundle having a square butt beobtained. The extension is held in a position substantially at rightangles to the lengths of stalks being operated upon by means of aradius-rod O, pivoted at 0 to a lug upon said extension. The particularconstruction of the various boards that make up the butt-moving device,as shown in the drawings, will be now described, and such a constructionis for the purpose of adapting the machine to the handling ofcornstalks. The operative parts comprising this device have been calledboards; but for the present purpose they have been constructed of sheetmetal and have fiangesj formed upon their edges in order to give themthe proper stiifness. The butt-board J that is given the orbitalmovement, has aggressive slats j, which are preferably given a saw-toothedge.

As before stated, the purpose of the double joint between the butt-boardand its actuating-crank is to allow the butt-board to be moved in aplane substantially parallel with the upper surface of the deck, and itwill be understood that sufficient looseness in the various joints isprovided in order that the devices may not be cramped in the variousmovements which are given to them.

An auxiliary device adapted to toss the butts sidewardly in a directionto permit them to be better engaged by the butt-adjuster will now bedescribed.

Extending rearwardly from the cutting apparatus and upwardly from thereceiving edge of the binder-table is a wall P. Attached to that wall isa guiding-board P, that serves to deflect the butt-ends of the stalkssidewardly as they fall. To the upper end of the board P is pivoted abar P the lower end of which is connected by means of a pitman 19 to acrank 19 on the shaft 01 The lower end part P is thus given a vibratingmovement, which serves to move the butts of the stalks sidewardly towardthe butt-adjuster. It has been found that this device materially aids inthe handling of corn in the machine shown and described, in that itserves to keep the space immediately to the rear of the cuttingapparatus clear of the butts of the prostrated cornstalks and to throwthem into the path of the butt-moving device. In many conditions of cornthe board P is sufficient to deflect the prostrated stalks out of theway of the incoming stalks. Should the corn being operated upon be bentand stiff, a positive movement is necessary to keep the rear of thecutting apparatus clear of the butts of the prostrated stalks, and undersuch conditions the moving bar P is most efiective.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination, in a butt-moving device, of a pivoted radius-rod, aboard actuated at its receiving end by a crank, and having its oppositeend adapted to slide upon the swinging end of said radius-rod, and anextension-board hung upon said radius-rod and having a slot throughwhich said crank-actuated board is connected to said radius-rod.

2. The combination, in a butt-moving device, of a radius-rod pivoted atone end and carrying at its opposite end a board, of an oscillatingboard actuated at its receiving end and at its other end overlapping thefirstmentioned board and connected to its radiusrod on the other side ofthe same.

3. The combination, in a butt-moving device, of a rotating crank, and adeck inclined to the plane of movement of said crank, with abutt-adjuster hung upon said crank by a two-way joint and having itsdelivery end adapted to be adjusted along said inclined deck.

4. The combination of the gatherer-board having thegathering-chainsuitablysustained thereon, a crank-shaft having its upperend suitably journaled upon said gathering-board andits lower endconveniently sustained upon the framework of the machine, a shaft havinga sprocket-wheel journaled upon said gathering-board, the saidsprocket-wheel adapted to give movement to said gatheringchain, a secondsprocket-wheel secured to said chaindriving shaft, a sprocket-wheeladapted to drive said crank-shaft, an eccentric support for said wheelhas one part with the upper journal-bearing for said shaft and a chainadapted to transmit rotation from said gathering-chain shaft to theeccentrically-supported sprocket-wheel.

5. The combination of the cutting apparatus and an automatic binderpositioned at the rear and to one side of said cutting apparatus, abutt-adjusting device located upon the forward edge of the table of saidbinder and a butt-moving device, P, located to they rear and on theopposite side of said cutting apparatus from the binder, substantiallyas described.

6. The combination of the cutting apparatus, an automatic binderpositioned at the rear and to the side of said cutting apparatus, abutt-adjusting device located upon the forward edge of the table of saidbinder, and a butt-moving device consisting of a bar pivoted at itsupper end and vibrating at .its lower end, said device located to therear of said cutting apparatus and upon the receiving edge of saidbinding-table.

7. The combination in a corn-harvester of the main frame suitablysustained upon its supporting-wheels and having the pivotallyjointeddraft-tongue and tilting mechanism, gatherer-boards having a passage-wayfor the stalks between them and provided with hinged extensions, thesaid extensions adapted to ride constantly upon the ground regardless ofthe position to which the machine is tilted, the said boards and thesaid extensions having upwardly-rounded surfaces over which the saidstalks may slide, and bridge-pieces hinged to and forming a continuoussurface between said hinged extensions and said gatheringboards.

8. The combination in a corn-harvester of the main frame suitablysustained upon its supporting-wheels and having the pivotallyjointeddraft-tongue and tilting mechanism, gatherer-boards having a passage-wayfor the stalks between them and provided with hinged extensions, thesaid extensions adapted to ride constantly upon the ground regardless ofthe position to which the machine is tilted, the said boards and thesaid extension having upwardly-rounded surfaces over which the saidstalks may slid e,and bridging-shields pivoted to said hinged extensionsand adapted to slide in guideways on said gatherer-boards.

JOHN A. STONE.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR JOHNSON, LOUIS O. HENSSLER.

